This blog is an exploration of principled problem solving which is an initiative at Guilford College encouraging a focus of people's abilities and experiences toward solving real-world problems under the guidance of the college’s core values of community, diversity, equality, excellence, integrity, justice and stewardship.

January 2013

01/31/2013

“…
‘there’s no use in wiring the world if we short circuit our souls.’ Ladies and
Gentlemen, Tom Brokaw.” Those were the final words of Kent Chabotar’s
introduction speech, a quote directly from the historic NBC Nightly News anchor
Tom Brokaw, as he walked bird-chested onto the Greensboro Coliseum stage with a
confidence like he was walking into a room of people he already knew. I was
sitting in a folding chair side stage next to the other members of Guilford’s
top jazz combo, who were already buzzing from the excellent performance we had
just played as people filed in, and fantasizing about all the things we’d
spend our gig money on. All I was thinking at that moment was whether or not
Tom Brokaw heard our performance, or if he liked jazz at all. When his marble
white hair caught the stage lights, I was assured that he did; something I’ve
come to learn from audiences at jazz concerts is that the more white hair you
can see from the stage, the better your reception will be. However, when Tom Brokaw
opened his mouth, he addressed the audience with the loud booming voice of
someone much less historic than himself, and before I could react his orations
descended like a spell over the audience, mesmerizing us into a silence where a
sneeze sounded like a gun shot.

Tom
began his speech with well-rehearsed witty anecdotes about his childhood and
life as an anchorman, as is the common icebreaker tactic of the Bryan speakers,
but I was surprised how quickly and abruptly his clever stories transitioned to
the inadequate care American veterans receive when they return from war,
realities on the conflict in the middle east, and the selling of our souls to
technology. He elaborated to great lengths his journalism coverage and personal
stories about veterans receiving qualifications for army training that
understated their marketability in the workplace; from battlefield medics
getting turned down for hospital and paramedic positions, to engineers who were
turned away from positions in mechanical engineering and construction. He also
related a very personal story about a veteran from his home town that was
seriously injured in an explosion in Iraq, and returned to a non-disability
friendly environment and had to endure much pain and hardship before the
community stepped in to accommodate his disabilities. When Tom addressed the
conflict in the Middle East, he made sure every person in the audience knew
that American news stations broadcast the conflict from the Israeli
perspective, and that many horrible war crimes the Israelis have inflicted on
Palestinians go unaddressed in most American news stations. Finally, he ended
with a message regarding the mindlessness people develop when they refer to 21st
century technology to solve most of their problems. He used his upbringing in
post-depression circumstances and his house in the prairie of Montana to
illustrate the beauty of experiences and entertainment created between friends
and nature over anything that can fit on a monitor or screen, and the
difference between a :) character and the actual act of smiling. He concluded his own speech with the
same quote Kent Chabotar ended his introduction with, “There is no point in
wiring the world if we short-circuit our souls.”

What I
found so excellent about Tom Brokaw’s speech was how his messages resonated
with all ages of the audience. There was a large number of elderly people
juxtaposed next to sections of college students, yet the response from both age
groups was equally enthusiastic. I also believe the three main points in his
speech resonated particularly well with the Guilford students in attendance;
especially his messages about losing character through technology. The majority
of students at Guilford own personal laptops or televisions, and I’d hope that
the next time students present at his speech get bored, they would consider a
walk through the Guilford woods, or getting to know a stranger better, instead
of watching TV or surfing the web. This was my personal takeaway from Tom
Brokaws’ speech, and I intend to follow through with this by discovering a new
area of the Guilford woods after I finish this conclusion paragraph. I implore
whoever reads this to do the same: get off your computer, pick up your phone, call
someone you’ve been meaning to get in touch with, and go make memories more
worth telling your grandchildren about than anything you could do staring at
this screen.

01/28/2013

At a school that prides itself in diversity and going against the grain, commonality is often a hard thing to come by. Everyone is encouraged to forge their own path and pursue their own interests, however strange and individualistic they may be. All of this is fine and dandy, and in the grand scheme of things is a great thing for students as individuals with future aspirations. However, when we all have to work together under the same big roof of Guilford College, it can become very frustrating very quickly.I will be the first to say I enjoy having a wide array of views in any given group, but even a simple task, which in the grand scheme of things will probably come and go largely unnoticed, can be argued over, discussed, revisited, and deconstructed several times over here at Guilford.

We have many well respected traditions and values here at Guilford; Equality, Diversity, Integrity, Tolerance. However, when any point of even potential conflict arises, the student body seems to quickly forget the Quaker testament of Silence, which is a virtue in most creeds and multiple sibling households.We seem to forget that in our efforts to make our voices heard, we give up the privilege of listening. In my experience here, if it isn’t the Bryan Series or Morgan Spurlock speaking, it’s hard to get people to lend you their ears. However, in some small way, Guilford always seems to have an ear open for music.

My freshman year here I was struck by the amount of students who were constantly playing music; at parties, midday, in classes, at night. High notes and rifts always seemed to be emanate from every tree in the quad or every wall in the apartments. This was an aspect of Guilford that I quickly logged but seemed to forget or grow accustomed to during the long terms at campus. I was reminded of this quality again this year, in one of the most painstaking processes I have ever been part of: Serendipity planning. As chair of Serendipity planning committee, a title I don’t really like (Guilford is never formal enough to have “student chairs” of anything), its my job to try to sort, organize, and condense every student's views intotwo concise, fun-filled nights of music and entertainment. This lovely affair quickly turned into my daily undoing, as I quickly noticed that no support for any idea is ever given, just a slightly different but equally uncompromising new plan. Running and attending the committee for this event, where everyone wants their voice heard but hardly anyone consistently attends and commits to helping, was a nightmare filled with unrealistic dreamers, and unrelenting naysayers. Funny enough though, I was reminded of my freshman year and of how every human seems to have the same consistent soft spot for music. One day, at the end of my rope, I decided we would just listen to a new song after every idea was proposed. Horribly inefficient? Absolutely, but what else hadn’t I tried?

It amazed me the response this method had. We were moving slowly, yes. But people were listening. We were all really comprehending different views, waiting patiently to learn something personal about each other from our unique tastes in music. Do we all agree? Not in the slightest. But for me, it was a real hint of a silver lining for our community. Yeah, I don’t think we have much in common. I don’t think many of us ever will. But we may not need traditional silence to listen to each other. Maybe we only need the absence of our own voices in favor of a sound we all can at least appreciate.

01/24/2013

Community is something I have rarely acquired. However, in the English Department, it has become a reoccurring theme, partly due to a series of book readings they have hosted. Fall semester, I had the privilege to attend one of these book readings with the rest of the English department. The guest of honor was, in fact, my Father. Alongside the entire English department were approximately ten students, who thoroughly enjoyed the reading. The reading was engaging and stimulating, it was followed by a discussion of the book and its characters. During this discussion I noticed this unique spark of community. Everyone's passion for English and writing was only a fraction of the large feeling of community that we all felt. The rest of the feeling of community was stitched together by the discussion and the similarities we further realized we all had. Through this discussion some of us shared our writing stories with one another while the rest gave feedback. A majority of us who are English majors could relate to one another all beginning our writing careers. I also believed the younger members felt connected to the more established writers as we listened to their stories of already having tackled the life of a writer. We ended the discussion by asking the author, Terry Roberts, a couple of questions about his writing and his relationships with his characters. It was extremely interesting to hear my father speak about having a connection with his characters even after finishing his novel. It was also very comforting to hear that all authors don’t always have the entire plot figured out in their head before they start writing. Many authors write and let the plot develop as they let their characters grow. For example, my dad who recently finished his second novel, which is a mystery, didn’t know who the murderer was until the end of the story. Finally, the similar passions and the enjoyment of genuine literature was only part of the emotions establishing our small group as a community. We all learned from one another as fellow writers. We all took a lot away from the reading and question session that generated the passionate community I believe we established. Hopefully, as I attend more book readings, I will feel the same accomplishment and community I felt in this one.

01/21/2013

In attempts to advocate sisterhood on the Guilford College campus, Natasha Nichole Lake teams up with Sister to Sister, the female chapter of Blacks Unifying Society. Lake hosts a series called "Flaws and All" in which she reaches out to young women and motivates them to lead gratifying and purposeful lives. In order to fulfill that mission, Natasha continues to facilitate presentations and workshops geared toward encouraging young adults to make positive choices that will lead to their success. Her last "Flaws and All" workshop raised many thought-provoking questions, as well as eyebrows.

What do your clothes say about you? Being a student at Guilford College, one may hear the phrase "It’s Guilford" thrown around casually to justify a multitude of actions. Why are you so awkward? Why are your shoes off? Why do you wear pajamas to class? The real question is; does your physical appearance and attire affect the way you are perceived by others?

Well, in my experience I have seen that outward appearances do in fact provide a basis for evaluation and unfortunately judgment. Not only does appearance affect how others interact with us but it also factors in to our success. Jada Drew from the Multicultural Education Department modeled a few "don’ts" for various situations. Among those situations were job interview, first date, and a casual day appearance. Though Jada is a very intelligent and kind person, her appearance must complement not only her personality but her intelligence as well. Particularly notable was her job interview outfit. A short skirt and blouse that showed off her cleavage would most definitely attract the wrong attention.

One of Guilford’s core values that came to my mind during this workshop is integrity. Integrity entails a "[commitment] to creating a community that acts with honesty and forthrightness holding ourselves to high academic and ethical standards, and dealing with everyone with respect." It is easy to get caught up in the whole "I don’t care what people think or say" attitude because we know ourselves. It is important that we carry ourselves with dignity. Respect is something that we should have for ourselves at all times. This also goes for appearances that are not face to face.

Social networks are a place for friends. An addiction to say the least. Many people fail to realize the dangers of social media and the way they are perceived via social networks. Whether you are in an upstanding position or not, the images and word choices used on these sites can have a negative affect on the way you are perceived by others. For example: I am a Resident Advisor at school. My job is to reinforce the rules and regulations that Guilford has established for the governing of its institution. If I were to post a picture of myself on Facebook holding an alcoholic beverage or an illegal substance, I would not only be a hypocrite but I would also be setting myself up for judgment. With that being said I think it is very important that we "dress the way we would like to be addressed." Our outward appearance is indicative of something much deeper. Though it is only a glimpse of who we are, those first impressions can speak to our underlying characters.

Natasha’s workshop not only got me thinking about my exterior, but also about what is held inside. A sort of wrapping paper on a gift feeling. Though the wrapping paper on a gift seems useless because it will soon be carelessly ripped off (no metaphor intended), it can often give people a gauge or idea of what to expect is on the inside and its quality. No matter the audience, whether it be a first date, interviewer, or friend, your appearance says a lot about who you are as a person and what your ethical values are.

01/18/2013

In November, I attended the Robert Williams's Radical Genealogy talk. Robert explained his own journey through his family's history, a long history of white folks who ran the gamut from slave owners to civil rights activists. When white folks do not understand their family histories, he claims, we are unable to contextualize white privilege and racism and patterns of inequality (economic, social, political) that exists today. He explained how his family gained wealth, land, and other resources through the work of black slaves, who were systematically deprived of the wealth they were forced to perform. The myth of rugged individualism and the free-market depends on hundreds of years of exploitation of poor people (both people of color and white people) through slavery, sharecropping and tenant farming, prison labor, and other legal means of wage theft and abuse.

After Robert's talk, I called my mom, who has been doing extensive genealogy research for the last fifteen years. I so admire her passion for what she does, and I consider the information she's found to be invaluable. She mostly focuses on her father's family, who are Jewish, partially because he died before she had the opportunity to ask questions about their history. I have always identified very strongly as being Jewish (both my parents are), although both of my grandmothers converted to Judaism upon marriage. When people ask me what I am, the first thing I think of is being Jewish. When I called my mom, I specifically wanted to know more about a side of my family who we have little contact with and not much knowledge of their history: my maternal grandmother's. Raised as a Southern Baptist in Austin, Texas, I knew that her family had been in the South for quite some time. I had seen pictures of them in Confederate army uniforms, which came as quite a shock as I had grown up assuming that nobody I was related to had anything to do with that world. Because of my parents' choice to raise my sister and me to identify as Jewish, this was not part of our identity.

My findings? Among other things, I learned that my great-great-great-great grandmother's family (the McAngus clan) immigrated to Texas from Scotland via the Port of Galveston. They settled in Austin (and thereabouts) and mostly stayed there, although some moved to South Texas. My grandmother's maiden name was Williams; where did that came from, I asked? My mom isn't sure, although she said there are some family members who she could talk to to find out. That's the part of the family I saw in the civil war pictures. My mom thinks that they came from Tennessee or northern Alabama, which makes me curious about a possible relation to Robert Williams. I know that Williams is a common last name, particularly in that area, but it does make me think; were they slave-owners? I have a constructed identity that has largely freed me from responsibility for slavery in the United States, and now that I have this knowledge, I feel it is imperative that I learn about it and come to terms with it.

Robert's talk inspired me to understand my family's history, not as something to disown or distance myself from, but to fully embrace all parts of it as a way to better understand myself and my circumstances. As a Jewish, white, upper-class male college student, I have a lot of privilege. I also have parts of my identity which I still grapple with and cannot figure out what part they play in my life (I haven't even gotten into my dad's side of the family). This event inspired me to ask tough questions and to sit with internal conflict and grey area as a means to be an anti-racist white ally. I don't think that this work can be done without confronting the reality of my family's history, which I still have so much to learn about. I am always inspired when I hear, see, and work with other white folks, especially white men, who are working to dismantle racism.

01/15/2013

Attending this event was a very great experience in relating to principled problem solving and the

core value community. Tiffany Kallam opened up the event with a short speech about how

Guilford promotes critical thinking, participation, and community building. The reason she talked

about this was to compare it to what education in prisons promote as well. She said that providing

an avenue for prisoners to get education builds community and diversity. She closed her brief

speech with a quote, “Our greatest error would be to do nothing”. This is referring to the problem of

how some people don’t feel that it is necessary for prisoners to have an education while incarcerated

and if we don’t try to address this problem then that would be our greatest error.

This relates to the first step in the Principled Problem Solving process: Identify. By attending this event, I understand how they indentified that people believing that education is a useless factor in prisons is a problem and not aligned with their beiliefs.

This means that they noticed that this situation was not aligned with their views or morals and that this is a passionate issue that they want to solve because of that.

In principled problem solving, this is the first step/action we address. The documentary informed us about the Bard College inside of a prison for felons. They mentioned

that the requirements to attend Bard College are unique. They do not look for SAT scores or a previous high school education. Instead inmates are chosen based on their levels of passion how

much they want to be a student at Bard College through the Bard Prison Initiative. Therefore, they apply by submitting an essay about

why they want to be there. This Liberal Arts college prepares inmates to find jobs when they are released. Most of the inmates didn’t know how to read or write until they got to prison. Some

students in the documentary stated that if they had to get released or stay in Bard College, they would chose Bard because it meant getting their education. I thought this was a very powerful

statement that reflects how passionate these prisoners are about their education and what it means to

them - another chance and a new life.

In the second documentary shown, it informed us that most people think that funding student

education in prisons is unnecessary. A woman in the documentary commented by saying that

providing prisoners with education for free is not a problem and that by doing this it is making our society a

better place. She said that, “They’re going to come back in society the way we want them to come

back”. What she meant by that is that if we don’t provide them with education in order to start over and

be better individuals then the inmates will continue to act on what they know and do not know,

which will encourage the cycle of returning to prison again after they are released back into

society.

The documentary ends with quote saying, “He who knows everything knows nothing because

there is always more to learn.” I thought this was a very good quote in describing the necessity for

these inmates to have a education in prison and for them to further their education after prison as

01/11/2013

As I parked my Ford Expedition right in front of Guilford’s football field, a handful of my youth football players almost could not contain themselves in my truck. The excitement of seeing a live college football game for the first time caused them to open the truck door before I could bring the two ton vehicle to a stop. We were all excited to have the opportunity to see Guilford College face off against Catholic on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Little did I know that the afternoon of fun and sun would drastically alter my perception that Guilford has a “false sense of sincere community” on its campus and reveal the all importance of dedicating time and resources to those who are less fortunate.

While our intentions were to come and enjoy a competitive athletic event between two formidable opponents, I used the occasion to instill in my players that excelling academically as well as athletically can result in them playing the sport they love while receiving an education. Most importantly, they would gain the chance to become a part of a family for life, a college family. No sooner had I said that statement it revealed its relevance as my boisterous chants of encouragement provoked inquiries of my allegiance from Guilford alums and fellow classmates who surrounded me in the stands. As I conversed with my fellow Guilfordians, it helped me to detach the “Adult” from my student title, which has been a thorn in my side for the past three years. We cheered, jeered, criticized and rejoiced as comrades with the same identities, rather than adult students, traditional students, or alumni and I cannot tell you how uplifting that moment was to me. The game not only offered entertainment but it also allowed my players to experience amity with those who are of different races, ages and cultures, something they are not exposed to because of their impoverished living circumstances. The kids that I deal with are living in families where nurturing activities are the least important aspect in their parent’s parenting skills. Not because their parents are mean or evil people but because the most important obligation is to provide their children food and shelter, with minimal resources, which consumes all their time. The game rendered a much needed break in the lives of these children who would otherwise never encounter a live football game other than seeing it on television. More importantly, this experience could persuade them to strive and reach for more than what life has dealt their parents. It could influence them to achieve beyond the status quo that so many of their family members fail to overcome, such as drugs, welfare, and criminal activities. As I reflect on “The Day at the Game” where Guilford’s football team pounded Catholic’s team to a 24-10 victory, I truly understand the power of selfless commitment to others. From the shouting in the stands with alums, to buying hotdogs from booths manned by fellow students, to kids who are grateful for the opportunity to choose whether their hotdog should have chili or not, we are only connected to the things that we allow ourselves to be exposed to. Once we expose ourselves to the concerns and needs of others it discloses the true sense of our worth. By supporting my college football team and all those who were involved in creating a competitive (athletes), nourishing (vendors), enthusiastic (students, alums) atmosphere, I gained a panoramic view of how to utilize a sustainable resource which will help me to mold underprivileged kids into scholar athletes. In essence, the Guilford community will help me as I help them. It is a Win/Win situation.